[Doppio is a man that's hard to trust, and that's even before the summer. A man that stumbles on his words, his eyes drifting this way and that like there's a lie waiting on his tongue or behind his back – or perhaps it's resting in her very hands.
But Trish wants this to work so badly that she may have taken something less damning for Doppio than this. Although it's not so damning when they're no longer in Italy and he and Diavolo are long dead, right? But it is something he knew had meaning to her, which means he must have thought about it a little. She'll cling to that, and to this photo, keep it pressed close and clandestine until someday, she has something to show for all of this.
Though, she is as puzzled as he is, and there's a few things she could ask. The last time they spoke, she wondered if they had some blood relation, but if they had...Doppio wouldn't find it strange, would he? As tenuous as his connection to her mother would be if he were Diavolo's brother or cousin, it simply wouldn't make sense for him be confused. Even less sense for him to play dumb, too.
Unless Diavolo withheld things, which is far too possible. Maybe Mana thought it would be funny to show him something as simultaneously meaningless as it would have been possibly meaningful, once upon a time. It is funny to think about Doppio himself, and how he almost fits the image her mother painted of Diavolo, who is neither meek or awkward or kind. But Trish doesn't want to spare that man another thought.
So, she settles on:]
Mana likes to play games. I wouldn't try to make sense of her actions, especially a year on.
[And then Trish looks away from Doppio, gaze trained back down on Donatella's smiling face, and her expression is kept passive but somehow terribly brittle. Like making any expression one way or another may threaten to break her entirely.]
...But I am convinced that your actions aren't based on petty jokes. That being said, the only reason I'm going to honor your request is simply because it will invite questions that are harmful to what I want us to accomplish. Otherwise, I'll do whatever the hell I want with this picture. It was never his to have.
[She doesn't say it with any amount of venom, surprisingly. It's almost matter-of-fact in how cold her tone is.]
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But Trish wants this to work so badly that she may have taken something less damning for Doppio than this. Although it's not so damning when they're no longer in Italy and he and Diavolo are long dead, right? But it is something he knew had meaning to her, which means he must have thought about it a little. She'll cling to that, and to this photo, keep it pressed close and clandestine until someday, she has something to show for all of this.
Though, she is as puzzled as he is, and there's a few things she could ask. The last time they spoke, she wondered if they had some blood relation, but if they had...Doppio wouldn't find it strange, would he? As tenuous as his connection to her mother would be if he were Diavolo's brother or cousin, it simply wouldn't make sense for him be confused. Even less sense for him to play dumb, too.
Unless Diavolo withheld things, which is far too possible. Maybe Mana thought it would be funny to show him something as simultaneously meaningless as it would have been possibly meaningful, once upon a time. It is funny to think about Doppio himself, and how he almost fits the image her mother painted of Diavolo, who is neither meek or awkward or kind. But Trish doesn't want to spare that man another thought.
So, she settles on:]
Mana likes to play games. I wouldn't try to make sense of her actions, especially a year on.
[And then Trish looks away from Doppio, gaze trained back down on Donatella's smiling face, and her expression is kept passive but somehow terribly brittle. Like making any expression one way or another may threaten to break her entirely.]
...But I am convinced that your actions aren't based on petty jokes. That being said, the only reason I'm going to honor your request is simply because it will invite questions that are harmful to what I want us to accomplish. Otherwise, I'll do whatever the hell I want with this picture. It was never his to have.
[She doesn't say it with any amount of venom, surprisingly. It's almost matter-of-fact in how cold her tone is.]